Curriculum & Courses for the Director of Exceptional Learners Program 

This internship occurs in a district or school in which the candidate will be immersed in the everyday tasks of administering a special education program. The candidate is required to create a team which includes the Director of Special Education, a local mentor, and a university supervisor. The candidate will address the following tasks and domains: program evaluation, curriculum, of services, data-based decision making, and leadership and policy. (All candidates must complete at least a 3 credit hour internship in special education.)

This course addresses knowledge and skills to understand budgeting and anticipating budget needs; indirect costs, and fringe benefits budget sources; contract negotiation; federal funding requirements and resources such as IDEA, Medicaid, state funds and how to access each source; budget coding requirements for IN and other states pertinent to candidate's residence; school funding formula; understanding what the terms “supplant” and “maintenance of effort” mean; and being aware of fiscal commitments of the school and district.

This course will emphasize systemic, logical processes in decision-making while building a foundation of knowledge in special education law to better inform the Director of Exceptional Learners in addressing the many issues that the administrator will confront in the performance of such duties. Federal and State law will be interwoven with case-based controversies.

This course addresses the requisite knowledge, performances, and dispositions necessary for a Director to collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources. Candidates study the meaning of collaborative leadership and the actions necessary to build working alliances. Much attention is focused on the strategies needed to connect across multiple and diverse community boundaries.

This course builds skills in research and inquiry to enable the candidate to implement qualitative and quantitative approaches to problems and their solutions. Examples of research projects might include researching administrative practices that support individuals with exceptionalities and their families; strategies to implement UDL and MTSS practices across a system; developing flexible service options to address equity and diversity; evaluating program effectiveness; studying and calculating return on investment of particular interventions; or, studying preventative programs to reduce special education referrals.

This course is designed to provide an overview of leadership in the time of a technology revolution. Digital devices and learning technologies are rapidly changing the landscape of education, especially for students with exceptional needs. This course addresses technology from a systems level perspective to improve educational outcomes for all students. Exploration of the realm of educational technology will occur through the lens of harnessing the power of information and purposeful digital integration in all facets of school life. You'll learn about new technologies, implementation and policy issues, IT management and platforms and methods for creating professional learning networks and communities of practice.